H-E-B stuns 5 of 8 local 'everyday heroes' named as award finalists with unannounced presentations.

Lee High School teacher Penny McCool (right) is all smiles after the announcement that she’s a finalist in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. Kim Harle (left) of H-E-B presents the check.

Photo By Bob Owen/Express-News

Michael Cardona, Lee High School principal, hugs the check presented to him by Kim Harle of H-E-B. He was named a finalist in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.

Photo By Bob Owen/Express-News

Principal Michael Cardona and teacher Penny McCool, both of Lee High School, smile at each other as they were named finalists in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards on Wednesday.

Photo By HELEN L. MONTOYA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

METRO: Janice Cuccia, a teacher at Fox Tech High School, is surprised to learn she has was awarded an H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards on Thursday March 24, 2011. HELEN L. MONTOYA/hmontoya@express-news.net

Photo By HELEN L. MONTOYA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

METRO: Janice Cuccia (center),hugs her mom Dorothy Cuccia and Julie Latiolais, after being surprised with the announcement that she was awarded an H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards on Thursday March 24, 2011. HELEN L. MONTOYA/hmontoya@express-news.net

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In a library full of first graders, Hoffmann Elementary Principal Levinia Lara spun around expecting to see McGruff the Crime Dog appear to help her deliver a safety lesson on Wednesday. Instead, she saw the oversized grocery store mascot, H-E-Buddy, wobbling toward her.

After asking the gathering crowd, “What is this?” Lara struggled to suppress tears as she realized that she'd been named one of eight local finalists for the prestigious 2011 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.

Kimberly Harle, an H-E-B spokeswoman, said the awards are meant to honor educators as “everyday heroes ... who sometimes don't get the recognition they deserve.” This year marks the 10th anniversary of the award program that ranks as the largest monetary rewards program for Texas educators, according to the company. The statewide award program also honors districts and, for the first time, will give 10 schools a Fit Campus Award.

Teacher finalists receive $1,000 for themselves and another $1,000 for their schools and principal finalists receive $1,000 for themselves and $2,500 for their school. H-E-B staff members began notifying 40 finalists across Texas and distributing $95,000 to educators in early March and will continue until early April.

In May, statewide winners in a variety of categories will be named at a ceremony in Austin with keynote speaker former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In addition to Lara in Northside Independent School District, three finalists were named in North East ISD and another in Alamo Heights ISD on Wednesday.

They are: Lindsay Richard, a first grade teacher at Wilderness Oak Elementary; Penny McCool, a physics teacher at Lee High School's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy; Michael Cardona, Lee High principal; and David Foss, an English teacher at Alamo Heights High School.

Three more finalists will be announced today.

McCool was lured to a student assembly Wednesday under the pretense that educators would discuss Advanced Placement and Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests with about 500 students.

Instead, a shocked McCool was brought on stage to accept an oversized $1,000 check before seeing principal Cardona similarly surprised.

Fifth-year teacher McCool said she loves giving science lessons and imparting a “sense of reasonability” to her students. For instance, if students are listening to a report about nuclear reactors in Japan, she hopes they'll better understand how heat transfer works and whether the report seems accurate.

During the assembly, teens shouted accolades at the two educators, such as, “You're the best, Principal Cardona!” Though Cardona is only in his second year at Lee's helm, he has already won over students' hearts.

Lindsey Mader, a senior at North East School of the Arts at Lee, said Cardona pushed her to explore musical theater when he was her principal at Driscoll Middle. After dropping out of choir in middle school, she found Cardona an easy person to confide in and said he helped boost her confidence, propelling her into NESA.